Coin-operated spark-plug cleaner



June 21, 1932. M. H. KLEINFELD COIN OPERATED SPARK PLUG CLEANER FiledApri 11, 1951 l INVENTO BY' w LUM/11445,. LU

ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES MosEs H. KLEINFELD, or NEWYORK, N. Y.'

GOIN-PERATED SPARK-PLUG CLEANER Application iiled April 11, 1931.

This invention relates to a coin operated spark plug cleaning machine,but more particularly to a machine of this character to be located inpublic places such as gasoline lling statlons, service stations, repairshops and other places where automobiles frequently stop for service.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind thatis practical in operation, sturdy and eflicient.

Another object is to provide a machine that is operated by air pressureand controlled by two valves, one auxiliary to the other, as will bedescribed in detail hereinafter.

Another obj ect is to provide a novel means of holding a spark plugduring the operation of cleaning and to easily and quickly place thespark plug in normal position for said operation and to facilitate itsremoval when properly cleaned.

A further object is to provide a protecting means for the operator toprevent the loose abrasive material from escaping while the spark plugisbeing cleaned.

And further, to provide a machine of this character that is inexpensivein manufact-ure, simple. in construction and convenient intransportation.

Other objects and novel features will be apparent from the followingspecification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing formingamaterial part of this disclosure and in which Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a machine embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of same with pedestal and baseremoved.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 but showing theremaining parts in top elevation.

The numeral 5 designates a housing supported by pedestal 6 resting onbase 7. A dome 8 is superimposed on housing 5 with an opening 8a thereinfor the purpose of placing the 5 spark plug in normal position forcleaning,

while a shutter 9 registers with the inner circumference of said domefor the purpose of closing opening 8a during the operation of cleaningand to be moved back within the dome when so required.

Serial No. 529,383.

The top 10 of housing 5 has an aperture 11 .to receive spark plug 12,the nut 13 of which shoulders on the upper surface of top l0 of housing5 and is held in such position yby means of an inverted cup 14 attachedto 55 plunger 15 which passes upwardly from the cup and into cylinder 16which is aftixed to and superimposed on dome 8. A washer 17 1 s attachedto plunger 15 to register with the inner circumference of said cylinderand serves as a means to hold helical spring 18 intermediate the underside of said washer and the -upper side of top 8 of dome 8. This springwhen expanded moves plunger 15 into its normal upward position as shownin Fig. 1, and when compressed as shown in Fig. 2 it forces said plungerdownwardly until cup 14 registers with top 12 of spark plug 12.

Attached to and depending from ,top 10 of housing 5 is a receptacle 19which con- 70 tains loose abrasive material 20, while there is placed ata convenient location on said receptacle a screen 21 which serves as anexhaust for air but constructed of such fine mesh that it will allow buta mini-mum` of small particles of the abrasive material to escapetherethrough.

A hopper 22 is attached within receptacle 19 and tapers downwardly forthe purpose of guiding the abrasive material toward the bottom of saidreceptacle. A plurality of apertures 2222 pass through the walls of thereceptacle which serve as exhausts through which air passes intoreceptacle 19.

Suspended also from top 10 of housing 5 85 and passing into hopper 22 isa tube 23 which surrounds the contact ortion 24 of spark plug 12 inorder to hold the abrasive material in close proximity to the surfacethat is being cleaned.

Afiixed to shutter 9 and resting intermediate top 10 of housing 5 is asegment rack 25 which meshes with pinion 26, both rack and pinion beingencased by gear guard. 27

atop which is placed a lever 28 to which is Q5 fastened a valve stem 29which passes downwardly into housing 5 and connecting with valve 30 ofvalve body 31. It will be noted that slide 9 closes simultaneously withthe opening of valve 30 to allow the flow of air 100 i 32 which isopened by valve stem 34 when the operator turns handle 35 which he isenabled to do after he drops a coin into slot 36 of receiver 37, saidcoin receiver being affixed to housing 5 by means of ange 38.

, A nozzle 39 to concentrate the air is attached to the upward end ofpipe 32 and extends through a larger pipe 40 with apertures 41 passingtherethrough to permit the abrasive material to pass into a largernozzle 42 affixed to pipe 40. Said nozzle 42 serves to concentrate theabrasive material into aspray when air passes through nozzle 39 bycausing a partial vacuum within nozzle 42 and drawing said abrasivematerial upwardly through apertures 41 and forcing the abrasive materialagainst the surface of the spark plug to be cleaned when the air valvesare opened.

In order to operate this invention the spark plug is inserted throughopenin 8a of dome 8 with the contact end of sai spark plug passeddownwardly through aperture 11 until nut 13 shoulders on top10 ofhousing 5. The operator then presses plunger 15 downwardly by manualcontact with knob 15a until cup 14 registers with top 12a of the sparkplug 12. The shutter 9 is then rotated to close opening 8a of dome 8 andsi-` multaneously open valve 30 by actuating the rack 25 and pinion 26and the valve stem 29 through the medium of lever 28. A coin is thendropped into slot 36 which rests in coin receiver 37 in any conventionalmanner and causes valve 33 to open by the means of rotating valve stem34 upon actuation of the handle 35 which is afiixed to said valvel stem34.

When the valves are both opened as aforesaid the air from a compressorremote from the machine but to which pipe 32 connects, rushes into saidpipe, thence upwardly through nozzle 39 and into nozzle 42 causing apartial vacuuln in said nozzle 32 and the abrasive material rushes intonozzle 42 through apertures 41 of pipe 40 thus forcing such abrasiveagainst the contact end of the spark plug to remove carbon or otherforeign matter which could break the contact of said spark'plug andprevent the proper functioning of same.

When the abrasive material leaves the spark plug it falls downwardlyinto hopper 22 and into receptacle 19 for future use.

While the air pressure is applied it exhausts through apertures 22-22,thence outwardly through the openings in screen 21 into the housing fromwhence it passes into the open air through mesh 43 which is attached tohousing 5 remote from the operator.

Although the improvements have been described with considerable detailand with respect to certain particular forms ofthe invention it is notdesired to be limited to such details since many changes andmodifications may Well be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention in its broadest aspect.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a spark plug cleaner, a housing having a controllable airadmission member, a dome affixed to said housing, said dome having anopening, a shutter slidable to control the opening, means to hold aspark plug in a predetermined position within said dome and housing,means to close said shutter and simultaneously open said air admissionmember, and means to clean the base of the spark plug while held in suchpredetermined p0- sition.

2. In a spark plug cleaner, a housing, a dome affixed to said housing,an air inlet to said housing, a valve controlling said inlet, means tohold a spark plug in a predeter mined position with relation to saiddome and housing, said dome having a lateral opening, a shuttercontrolling the opening, means to simultaneously open said shutter andclose said valve by manual operation, and means to clean the contact endof said spark plug while held in such predetermined position.

3. In a spark plug cleaner, a housing having a valve controlled airinlet, a dome superimposed on said housing and adapted to receive aspark plug, means to hold said spark plug in a predetermined positionfor cleaning purposes attached to said dome and housing, means toenclose the spark plug within thev dome and simultaneously open the airvalve, and means to clean said spark plug by means of abrasion.

4. In a spark plug cleaner, a housing having a valve controlled airinlet, a dome superimposed 0n said housing, a cylinder affixed to saiddome, a seat on which to rest a spark plug, means within the cylinder tohold a spark plug in predetermined relation to the housing and dome, amovable member to enclose the spark plug, means to operate said movable.member and open the air valve simultaneously, and means to clean thespark plug while held in said predetermined posiplug, means to operatesaid roila1 member 4 and open the air inletvalve sim taneously to allowthe flow of air apredetermined distance, an auxiliary valve to completethe flow 5 of air, coin-operatedmeans to actuate said auxiliary valve,and abrasive material to clean the spark plug actuated by pressure fromthe air. p

In testimon whereof Iailx m si nature.

KIOSES H. KLE LD.

